Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Leonard Thygesen update on April 23, 2012. Looking south-west from the Stewart Avenue overpass. You can super enlarge just about any photo on this blog for viewing small details. The way this is done is a little different depending on which browser is used.

Leonard Thygesen update on April 23, 2012. Looking directly west from the Stewart Avenue overpass.

This south-west view overlooking Buick assembly shows a lot of good details from the 1971 era. When you enlarge you can even see the old frame yard between factory #04 and #40. You can also see the old Oak Park entrance that went right through the north-end of factory #04. Follow the factory #09 link for a story on this old entrance to the Buick property.

I was not going to post these photos because of the bad reflections from the Mylar, but they are still alright for research purposes. These were all taken at The Buick Research Gallery in Flint, Michigan.

Here were overlooking the old powerhouse building #14. Factory #12-a is beyond it. That is factory #15 at the bottom foreground on Leith Street.

Here we are at the top of one of the smoke stacks of the powerhouse #07 during construction. This would be the vantage point for the photos on this posting. Were facing west. That is factory #29 visible at the bottom left corner.

Looking south from the “then new” powerhouse built between 1971-1973. It was known as building #07. You can see almost the whole of final assembly at Buick. In the far distance is downtown Flint, with Hurley hospital seen at the right in the distance. The well known twin water towers erected in 1920 were removed during this period. The old train shed is in the foreground. Links:

Thursday, April 12, 2012

These photos from Leonard Thygesen were taken on April 12, 2012. No one gave him a heads up on the demolition of the last remaining small building, so he missed filming it. The Cultural and Diversity Center was all that remained of the old Brass and aluminum foundry #30 built in 1918. This plant "besides doing forgings", also started making the springs for all of Buick in 1936. The factory designation was changed in 1963 to factory #03 after the original foundry #03 was demolished. This last remaining addition to building #30/factory #03 was built in 1966.

A very barren view now.

This west view was the site of factory #10 and #05 beyond it. The still working view (just above) is from July 1984, and shows the switch engine 792.

Looking directly west from the Stewart Avenue overpass. Just still cleaning up the remains.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

The top two photos are after the numerous additions made to the original west Kearsley Street Buick plant. The bottom two show the original single floor factory. This was the first location of Buick in Flint after their move from Detroit. The Jackson Michigan plant was used for assembly during most of the year 1905 and all of 1906, and was concluded as far as the automobile production was concerned during 1907. All parts were made in Flint and shipped by rail to Jackson. Truck production went on at Jackson until 1912. Flint to Detroit round trip on July 13, 1904.Link: for first Buick built in Flint announced

This is Buick in late 1904 when it was still a single floor factory in it’s original form (at the left). It now has it’s engine test building (the white structure ) located to the south. The larger complex is “The Flint Wagon Works” where the first Pilot Buick body was assembled. The W.F. Stewart factory only blocks away to the east built all the following body’s for many years. This view is facing north-west with west Kearsley Street running parallel between the two buildings and ran all the way to Wilcox Street at that time. The bridge crossing the river in the distance is the Wilcox Street crossing. This would become Chevrolet Avenue in the future. This is before the move to the site on the north side of Flint at the old Hamilton farm, or “The Oak Park Industries” site. In 1904, all Buick cars were assembled here. It is hard to believe that it started with this small building. The ground breaking of this first Buick factory in Flint was the morning of September 11, 1903. Just left click for large view of any photos. This is a recreation that I myself made (40 hours work) starting with a postcard of the Chevrolet factory from the 1920's. This would be a very accurate representation of how it looked at that time. I used some real elements such as poles and lumber stacks from actual photos of the original site.

This is 1910 facing west and showing two stacks at the powerhouse #26 now.

The color postcard is from my private collection and can be super enlarged. The width of the Flint river is greatly exaggerated. The bridge was just a fantasy at the time this rendering was done and was still only a shaky foot bridge. A steel truss bridge would never be built at this river crossing.

This is the oldest from my collection, (excluding postcards) and is from a 1911 Saturday Evening Post dated October 14, 1911. The view is facing west. The one above it is very similar. Follow the 1912 link below for a better view of this.

Just left click, then right click and choose view image, then left click once more. Many photos on here will allow enlargement for viewing or reading.

This 1915 (west facing) view is from a Bridgeport, Connecticut paper put out for World War I, or the “War To End All Wars” as it was known then. That is a panoramic view of downtown Flint at the bottom.

Just left click, then right click and choose view image, then left click once more.

This 1920 north-east view is a Crooks studio print. The (Wallace family) donated all of the Crooks photos to the Kettering archives in Flint, Michigan. The family is in possession of J.D. Dort’s old roll-top desk, just as Lawrence Gustin has Billy Durant’s.

This copy is from the January 1953 anniversary edition of The Flint Journal. Just left click, then right click and choose view image, then left click once more. Many photos on here will allow enlargement for viewing or reading.

An overview of Buick’s north-end in 1952 facing south-west from factory #36.

An overview of Buick’s north-end in 1952 facing south-west from factory #36. This copy is from the January 1953 anniversary edition of The Flint Journal.

Factory #36 in 1952 facing north-east. This copy is from the January 1953 anniversary edition of The Flint Journal.

These two photos (above) of Buick are before Buick City in 1985. The view at top is facing east north-east. The view directly above is facing straight down on the site. Paul Williams supplied this photo. Visit his Buick Facebook site at: Buick Flint North

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The original purpose of this Blog was as a quick retrieval point for my research data. "It grew out of control rather quickly". I do not hold claim to everything here. As with all history I build and hopefully expand on other peoples efforts. I spend many hours trying to ensure the accuracy of this history which is always evolving. I have worked at many different G.M. plants in my 30 years with the company. I've spent time at the old Chevy V8 plant in Flint, Michigan in 1970 going to night school in the dynamometer room, then onto Buick in 1972, followed by 9 months at the Chevrolet plant in Flint, Michigan, known as Chevy In The Hole. I was called back to Buick after the economy picked up in 1974. In 1997 I went north 50 miles to Bay City Powertrain, which was another old Chevrolet plant. Like most GM. employees I worked some special assignments at other plants in north America. I welcome feedback on anything I post, pertaining to the General Motors Factories. I especially like corrections or new information.